Lock



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656 699 G. w. ELMWALL LOCK Original Filed Feb. 19, 1924MAW/WE I 3/; [77W FZ/VW/MZ w :3 E1 .50 .5) IQ Q 1177mm 40 r U 2 lPatented Jan. 17, 1928.

JUNITED STATES Let ,eee PATENT .OFFHCE.

eusrnvn when nLmwALL, or new YORK, a. Y.

LOCK.

Original application filed February 19, 1924, Serial No. 693,786.Divided and this application filed May 1,

1926. Serial No. 105,974.

This invention relates to looks and more especially to looks of thekeyless or permutation type.

This application constitutes a division of 5 my copending applicationSerial Number 693,786 filed February 19, 1924, and entitled Bedroomsafes.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide a lock of the type setforth in an embodil ment particularly suited for use in the locking offurniture and with the employment of only such parts and arrangement ofparts that its manufacture, installation, and repair will beaccomplished with the ordinary tools employed, and by the exercise ofonly that skill had by the ordinary shop mechanic as contrasted with theprofessional skill'of the lock artificer. I

7 It is also an object of this invention to provide a combination orkeyless lock capable of being operated with wet or greasy fingers andhence especially adapted for use in the boudoir and as an appendage forarticles of furniture employed for toiletpurposes.

Combination locking devices have in general presented rather complicatedmechanisms involving close mechanical fits, accurate adjustments,careful installation, and delicate manipulation for useful service.Suchformer devices though perfectly suited for the locking of bankvaults and the like have been far too costly and intricate for use inthe boud'oir, so that key locks have been usually the only availableprotection for toilet articles, jewels and the like often ofconsiderable value and often left entirely unprotected because ofmislaid or lost keys while, even though available when needed, themanipulation of such keys became diflicult or impossible with damp orslippery fingers. It is the purpose of this invention to provide acombination lock suificiently cheap and simple to be adapted for thepurposes described and so easily operated by the possessor of thecombination as to avoid inconvenience while the absence of any key andits self locking character effectually removes the danger of leaving thecasket or chest unlocked.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the locking mechanism, the front of the casingor frame bein removed to show the parts.

ig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism the top of the casing beingremoved for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 3 serves to show to enlarged scale a portionof the mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows in cross section the locking mechanism as installed in acasket such as that shown in Fig. 5, and referring to line 4-4.

Fig. 5 illustrates in front elevation a casket or chest having thelocking mechanism in place therein.

The casing 10 is provided with top openings or ports 12 with ahorizontal partition 14, with cross pins or cord guides 16, and

with journal pins 18 upon which swing locking latches 20 and 21., andholding latches 22and 23, which engage the lugs 25 and26 when a cover 31of a chest or casket 30 to which the lock is applied, hasbeen closed andwhen the lock is in operation. i

The bottom of casing 10 is provided with a series of openings formanipulating but tons 40 and 41 all exactly similar in appearancepreferably of porcelain or other hard, i

wear resistant material and of suiiicient length to extend through theshell of the casket and to present the appearance of a part of thecasket decoration as indicated in Fig. 5 so that to anyone not familiarwith the casket no suggestion of a lock is presented on the casketexterior. At their upper ends buttons'40 and 41 are provided with guidestems 42 engaging and sliding in partion 14 which also serves as a seatfor springs 43 pressing the buttons toward their outward or extendedposition. Buttons 40 and 41 are also provided with bores 44 as indicated by the dotted lines in 3 and with collars or enlargements 45limiting their outward movement.

Latches 20 and 21 are normally held forward to engage lugs 25 and 26 bysprings S while springs S normally hold holding latches 22 and 23disengaged as shown. The latches are moved from these normal positionsby cords 50 and 52 which are secured to one of their arms and extendover the guide pins 16 through guide holes in partition 14 to rings 54pas ing through one of these then to and through the bore 44 in a button40 or 41 and end by being secured to a second ring 54 upon the oppositeside buttons have been shown and those operating locking latches 20 and21through cords have been numbered ll but it will be understood that anytotal number of buttons may be employed and that any part of such totalmay be joined to either looking or holding latches as the needs of adesired combination may indicate.

The lock is operated by pressing upward on buttons set for the givencombination, in the illustrated instance on buttons 41, which drawsdownward upon cords 50 pulling latches 20 and 21 out of engagement withlugs :25 and 26 and releasing the lid. Thus the. pressure upon correctbuttons unlocks the chest without delay. If however the wrong button orbuttons (indicated as ll) herein) be pressed cords will be pulled andlatches 22 and 23 or one of these, will be interposed in the witlulnm'alpath of the lugs and the chest will remain locked even though thecorrect buttons have been manipulatedas well. It will be clear thatalmost any combination may be set up upon a comparatively small numberof buttons and that the accidental discovery of such combination withoutactual knowledge thereof is well nigh impossible, certainly impractical, in the limited time usually available to the thief.

It will be manifest that many changes and modifications in thearrangement of the various elements, in the whole structure, and in theuses and installation of the same, may be made without departing fromthe scope of my invention or the spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is: j

1. In a look, a casing having lug entrance openings in its top,mechanism guides and journals supported by its sides together with ahorizontal internal partition, lug catches swinging on said journals andmoved from their normal positions by mechanism mounted in said guides, aplurality of con neoaeee trol members guided by said casing and theinternal partitlon therein said control members pro ecting from theexterior of said 'lllttl positions, the whole providing a buttonoperated lock wherein the connection between control buttons and latchescannot be traced from the exterior.

3. In a safety box lock, latch lugs havin extending terminalprojections, a plurality o pivot-ed locking latches engageable with saidprojections, spring means retaining said locking latches normallyengaged with said lugs, a plurality of holding latches also engageablewith said lugs, spring means normally holding said holding latchesdisengaged, a series of identically formed buttons projecting from thebottom of said lock, cord means internal to said lock and connectingcertain of said buttons with said locking latches and certain otherbuttons to said holding latches so that pressure upon the first saidbuttons will release said looking latches. and disturbance of theremaining buttons will engage said holding latches so that the latch,lugs will be entirely released only upon performance of a predeterminedeoml'iination button pressure.

Signed this 3rd day of April, 1926, at New York, N. Y.

GUSTAV VALFRID ELBHVALL.

